Just because we play what the people want....

"Dem a call us pirate, dem a call us illegal roun yah so, just because we play what the people want...One Station couldn't run England...." Cocoa Tea & Shabba

Instrumental CD, check, Promo copies, check, Draws, check, Flyers, check, Outfit for the Show, check, Toothbrush, check, Herbs and Vitamins, check, Honey, check, Passport, check, Number for the Promoter, check...such is the life of the independent artist on tour. The worst is when someone asks after the show if you have a CD, and all you have is your two empty hands or you run outta draws and either have to roll free with none or wear the same pair again, yeah man, the checklist is very essential. The next stop was Brighton, England, so the checklist was in full swing.

After about a week in Czech Republic, I soon found myself on an Easy Jet flight from Prague to London Gatwick. When I touched down in London, I headed straight to the underground for the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station; where I would meet up with my father's breddren, Derek and his son. After I bought my ticket, I waited about ten minutes for the next express, and I was on my way to Victoria. Yow, star, the exchange rate is no joke, the dollar is 2 to 1, if that's the US, you can just imagine the Jamaican, so yeah, dat definitely no mek it...so it was a good thing I was getting paid in pounds for the show.

While I was sitting in the booth, watching London pass by, a woman a couple seats down from me began arguing with the ticket attendant, at first she wouldn't wake up when the ticket attendant asked to see her ticket, then it was a big argument about why she should pay her ticket twice, and this woman seemed like she did coke out, like she was just confused and wasn't very coherent...Welcome to London. As we approached Victoria Station, I grabbed my bags, and waited for the train to stop. When the doors opened, I headed upstairs to wait for Derek. I was tempted to head to Brixton, it was one stop down on the Victoria line, if I remember correctly. Yeah, for those who don't know, Brixton is Little Jamaica, when you step out from the tube station, it sounds like Constant Spring Road in Kingston, you might as well be in Jamaica. Whenever I make it to London, I always make my pilgrimage there, hopefully I'll have time.

When I stepped out into the night air, I felt a familiar feeling, similar to Ceska Lipa, ladies and gentlemen, it was cold, sorry deh, cowwwl. Except, this time around, I was prepared, and I got the memo, I had my jacket, so everyting safe rudebwoy...